Experts to give course in Malta on creative problem solving and lateral leadership

Speaking to MaltaToday, Sloane said “This course will help participants to analyse key trends and developments and assess their impact on Malta, interpret their findings in relation to their own business, and come up with creative solutions.”

“Malta desperately needs creative solutions for the tourism industry if it is to compete and thrive,” he said. “There is a real risk that Malta could be squeezed out by other holiday locations that offer lower cost, better facilities, more interesting activities or a combination.”

Speaking about his lecturing in Malta, Sloane said that the aim is to deliver cutting-edge training in all areas of business leadership and innovation for managers and supervisors.

Successful participants will be awarded a qualification equivalent to a University Diploma. It is expected that there will be a rush for the 450 slots available for participants.

The €3 million porgramme Advance, Training Tourism Leaders, is funded by the European Social Fund with a contribution from the Maltese government. The courses, which are valued at some €12,000 per participant, are being offered absolutely free of charge.

Sloane has written 17 books of which 2 million copies have been sold. He is also responsible for providing practical techniques to sharpen leadership and innovation skills for companies such as American Express, ARM and Lloyds of London.

The programme covers a number of key areas, including creative thinking, sustainable tourism and customer management amongst others. The best performing participants will be given the opportunity to take part in an international study and work-practice visit.

Sloane refers to Malta’s Edward de Bono as ‘the great guru of lateral thinking’. He compares this system of thinking to a set of spectacles; “The conventional approach to improving spectacles might have involved better lenses or frames. A lateral thinking approach would be to replace the spectacles with contact lenses or laser eye surgery.”

Advance Training Tourism Leaders is now undergoing its second intake which starts in February 2011. Enrollment is limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. More information is available by calling on 21456820 or at www.advance.com.mt.